ZAGREB, Aug 31 (Hina) - From the beginning of this year by 30 August, 612 forest fires broke out in Croatia burning 45,657 hectares.
ZAGREB, Aug 31 (Hina) - From the beginning of this year by 30 August,
612 forest fires broke out in Croatia burning 45,657 hectares.#L#
These wildfires caused damage over 633 million kuna (approximately
76 million US dollars).
Of 612 fires, 90 ignited in the continental Croatia whereas most of
them (522) swept through southern Croatia (mostly Karst areas).
The director of the public company "Hrvatske Sume ('Croatian
Forests'), Zeljko Ledinski, who cited these data on Thursday's news
conference, described this year as one of the most difficult as
regards fires.
The fighting against fires was hindered by a drought.
Besides the drought, another major cause of blazes was untended
private fields and forests. Ledinski told reporters that even 50
percent of fires had broken out at such sites.
He suggested that owners of such fields and forests should be either
stimulated to keep them better and thus prevent potential fires or
forced by severe sanctions.
Ledinski said his company was carrying out a series of preventive
measures and this year it would spend 71.2 million kuna (some $8.5
million) for this purpose or six percent of the entire turnover of
"Hrvatske Sume".
He also cited the data that from 1990 when the company was
established to 1999, 2,627 firebreaks had been built in Karst
areas. Prior to 1990, there had been just 148 firebreaks with
roads.
Ledinski warned that even this rise in firebreaks was not
sufficient and called on the entire community to take efficient
preventive and other fire-fighting measures.
(hina) ms